(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bag which rapidly expands at an occurrence of an accident so as to protect a driver and the like.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional air bag has been a spherical balloon, a circular cushion or the like in shape so as to deal with a frontal impact.
An automobile accident is not always so simple that a just frontal impact is given. That is, some accidents are so simple that an automobile once collides with something and then stops. Otherwise, the automobile collides on its left front and turns over, resulting in a crash of a right front and a right side. The automobile crashes head-on and is then struck from diagonally behind, which causes the automobile to turn over and lie on its side. Due to the accident upon meeting suddenly, the automobile crashes on its right side, and the resultant impact causes the automobile to crash against a utility pole on its left side. Various cases such as these combined accidents occur.
In the combined accident as described above, a body and a head of a driver and the like are shaken backward-and-forward and rightward-and-leftward many times. They are further shaken upward and downward many times. In addition, the crash results in little original form of a space such as a driver's seat. In some cases, the space is deformed so that it is substantially half or less.
By the way, since the conventional air bag has been the spherical balloon or the circular cushion in shape, it is suitable for the frontal impact. However, the conventional air bag is almost helpless against the impact at both of the right and left sides. Accordingly, although the air bag is operated, the driver and a passenger cannot be protected, thereby resulting in a direct connection with a serious accident in many cases.